Devices for securing ostomy bags to persons are known. For example a pair of rubber straps is commonly used to secure an ostomy bag to a person's leg. This approach is undesirable because the accumulation of waste material in the bag tends to be felt by the person, the skin of the person's leg tends to get hot and sweaty adjacent to the bag, and the person typically must lower her pants to the floor or remove them to empty the waste material from the bag.
In addition, at night, larger ostomy bags or night bags are typically used. These bags must be hung on a wheeled support next to the bed. This approach is undesirable because the tubing attached to the ostomy bag may constrain the person or otherwise interfere with the person's movements during sleep. In addition, the person attached to such a night bag must wheel the support with the bag to the lavatory or elsewhere should the person need to relocate
Examples of devices for securing ostomy bags are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,626,570 to Gallo, 5,135,519 to Helmer, 5,643,233 to Turner, 5,651,777 to Walters, 5,174,305 to Childs, and 4,666,432 to McNeish et al. A disadvantage of these devices is that they are uncomfortable to wear, tend to be difficult to apply and to remove or tend to be visible when worn.
Also known are garments having pockets with and without pocket flaps and/or pocket closures. Examples of these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,135,520 to Beaupied, 4,888,006 to Beaupied, 5,009,649 to Goulter et al., WO 89/06949 to Beaupied, 5,293,840 to Wedlick, 3,421,505 to Freeman et al., 2,778,362 to Pollock et al., 3,468,310 to Kimball, 4,533,355 to Fair, 5,048,122 to Prieur, 3,547,123 to Sachs, 4,495,662 to Miller, 5,142,702 to Piloian, 5,032,118 to Mason, and 4,820,291 to Terauchi et al. The '362, '355, and '662, moreover, disclose garments having holes in either the garment or the front of the pocket or both for the tubing, stoma, or ostomy appliance. Further, the '118 patent discloses a pocket that extends below the lower edge of the garment and having an opening at the lower edge of the pocket for emptying the pouch. The '291, moreover, requires that the pocket be made of special water-resistant material. To change the ostomy bag for the garment disclosed in the '118 patent, pants worn over the garment must be taken down to the ankle or removed entirely to drain the bag.
A disadvantage of these garments is bulging of the pocket, that they are uncomfortable or difficult to wear, that the bag falls down in the pocket, or that the bag does not fill properly or is otherwise restricted so as to impede the flow of the person's waste material. None of these references have a device for securing the bag and minimizing the bulging of the bag within the pocket, or pleats that allow the bag to fill. A further disadvantage of prior art garments or devices is that they are not easily manufactured in that they require special designs, materials and methods of manufacture, or they require special outerwear to accommodate the garment or device.
What is desired, therefore, is an ostomy bag garment which prevents the ostomy bag from falling down and unsightly bulging, and which allows the bag to freely fill, and can be comfortably worn throughout the night, and yet is comfortable and relatively simple to apply and remove.